Rosepark Nursing Home: Fire

Lord Rooker: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	First, may I say that our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims of this tragedy?
	It is too early to speculate about the cause of the fire. Investigations are already under way in Scotland and we will be looking very closely at their findings and considering the implications for England and Wales.
	The cornerstone of our policy remains the prevention of fire. When fires do occur, simple precautions such as keeping fire doors closed and installing smoke alarms can play a vital role in reducing death and injury. Integrated risk management plans will make sure that more work is done by the fire and rescue service to prevent fires in the first place, by identifying those people in the community most at risk and targeting resources more effectively.
	Sprinklers can also play an important role in suppressing fires where they have broken out, though it is too early to conclude that if the Rosepark Nursing Home had been fitted with a sprinkler system, any loss of life could have been prevented.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been actively investigating the effectiveness of sprinkler systems in tackling fires in residential properties. The results of this work, which is being undertaken on our behalf by the Building Research Establishment, are being fed into the review of the fire safety aspects of the Building Regulations (England & Wales), which is currently under way. A report of the work will shortly be published, enabling those involved with fire safety in buildings to gain a more comprehensive understanding of residential sprinkler systems. However, the tragic incident at the weekend indicates that sprinklers may have a role to play in protecting vulnerable groups such as homes for children, homes for elderly people, homes for disabled people and higher risk houses in multiple occupation.
	In relation to existing premises, including residential care homes, an employer is required under the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997, as amended, and under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to undertake a risk assessment in order to safeguard the safety from fire not only of his employees but of all people on his premises affected by his work. This assessment can include the provision of sprinklers within the building. This requirement will be extended by the proposed Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order to include most premises to which the public have access, and the duty imposed upon the employer will be extended to include any person who is responsible for managing the premises.
	In the mean time our community fire safety programme continues to educate people about the risks associated with fire and the measures which can mitigate against its occurrence. This programme has already been effective in reducing fire deaths and injuries from accidental fires.

Advisory Group on Enforcement Service Delivery

Lord Filkin: The fourth and final report by the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Group on Enforcement Service Delivery, entitled The move to a regulated enforcement industry: transitional issues has been published in November 2003 and copies placed in the Libraries of both Houses. I am pleased to announce that the advisory group has now fulfilled its original terms of reference. The group is therefore disbanded. I am grateful for the valuable contribution provided by the members of the advisory group throughout the four reports to my department. Proposals for legislation will follow in due course.

BBC News 24

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	On 5 December 2002 I placed the independent review of BBC News 24 by Richard Lambert in the Libraries of both Houses, together with a letter setting out my response.
	In response to the review, I attached two further conditions to the approvals of BBC News 24. These required the governors to publish their response to the Lambert report by the end of March 2003, and to promulgate revised commitments for the service, taking account of Richard Lambert's recommendations, by the end of May 2003.
	In addition, I was minded to attach a third condition requiring the governors to report more fully on the delivery of News 24 in the BBC's annual reports. I stated that I would reconsider the intention in the light of the BBC's formal response and subsequent 2003 annual report.
	I have judged that these two documents provide enough information and demonstrate sufficient improvements to remove the need for a further condition on the approval.